Wed. Nov 13th, 2024

This year’s Venice Film Festival has been buzzing with the release of Joker: Folie À Deux, the highly anticipated sequel to 2019’s Joker. Directed once again by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix, the film also features Lady Gaga in a significant role. This time, however, the film takes a surprising turn as it morphs into a semi-jukebox musical rather than sticking to its psychological thriller roots.

While Joker: Folie À Deux starts with a bold and intriguing idea, it doesn’t quite hit the mark. The sequel is less of a triumphant follow-up and more of a stumbling misstep. We find Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) in Arkham Asylum, awaiting trial for his notorious crimes. He’s been signed up for a music therapy class, which feels like a strange reward for his good behavior.

In this therapy class, Arthur meets Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (Lady Gaga), an arsonist who admires Arthur and is always scheming. The two embark on a twisted romance, set against the backdrop of classic Hollywood songs. The film opens with a nod to Looney Tunes, featuring a cartoon called ‘Me and My Shadow’. This is a hint at the film’s theme of duality, suggesting that the real madness may not be between Arthur and Lee, but within Arthur’s own struggle between his true self and his Joker persona.

The sequel takes some unexpected turns: it includes musical numbers and mixes in elements of a prison play and courtroom drama. This choice might seem refreshing, but it ends up confusing fans of the original film, especially those who were hoping for another dark and gritty tale.

Joker: Folie À Deux tries to make a statement about toxic fan culture and the nature of celebrity, but it often feels clumsy. The film has some impressive visuals, especially in its musical scenes, thanks to cinematographer Lawrence Sher. However, as these musical numbers pile up, they become repetitive and lose their impact. This is a major disappointment considering how memorable the music of the first film was, thanks to composer Hildur Guðnadóttir.

Lady Gaga’s role as Lee Quinzel feels underused. The film seems to miss the opportunity to make her a central figure, which could have offered a fresh perspective and added depth. Instead, Gaga’s potential is overshadowed by the film’s erratic approach. The choice of songs—like ‘That’s Entertainment’ and ‘What the World Needs Now’—feels clichéd and fails to enhance the narrative.

Checkout the trailer here:

 

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